


GROCERY BOYS

by mangojuices



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: M/M, They also love each other, they're employees - Freeform, they're in a grocery store
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23875966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangojuices/pseuds/mangojuices
Summary: One grocery store, eight workers.In which: Wooyoung pines for Yeosang, San panics every time he sees Jongho smile, Seonghwa and Mingi have been not-boyfriends for three years, and Hongjoong finally realizes how cute Yunho is.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Choi San, Jeong Yunho/Kim Hongjoong, Jung Wooyoung/Kang Yeosang, Park Seonghwa/Song Mingi
Comments: 9
Kudos: 113





	1. Chapter 1

KQ Mart is a small and quaint store tucked between a restaurant and a small cafe. Almost open for twenty-four hours, it serves the nearby high school and the rush hour of workers on lunch break, as well as the regular customers in the neighboring apartments that classified the store as their main source of grocery. Staffed by a wide array of workers, they often work together to fight the boredom of the drought that plagues the early mornings and late nights, the rare times when a robber stalks the aisle, as well as the daily nuisance of nagging customers. It’s an easy job that comes with warm and confusing relationships, mediocre pay, and life-long memories that are too sweet to forget; and maybe that’s why the eight boys stay. 

-O-

Yeosang finds it ridiculous at how many excuses Seonghwa and Mingi had.

Caught making out in aisle thirteen?  _ Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation practice _ . Mingi face timing Seonghwa at work when he’s not scheduled for that day?  _ He had a scheduling question that didn't really involve anything about scheduling.  _ Seonghwa on his knees in the stock room, Mingi’s dick obviously in his mouth?  _ Bros help bros out.  _

Everytime Yeosang accused the two of dating, they would always have some odd excuse to deny it. Though, Seonghwa always had the same bite when it comes to Wooyoung. To Yeosang, he found it annoying how Wooyoung clung to him like super sticky tape. Whenever Yeosang was at the register, Wooyoung would be there, sitting on the bagging side blabbering away about something Yeosang wasn’t entirely listening to. From morning to closing time, especially when Yeosang closes that night, Wooyoung would be there to fill the silence with the shrill of his voice. Sure, maybe Yeosang doesn’t entirely mind Wooyoung being there, without him it would be boring. But he’d appreciate it if Yunho and Seonghwa would stop accusing them of being in a relationship. “I’m in a committed relationship!” Yeosang would argue, though when he had said that the first time, he saw how Wooyoung deflated, crushed and out of air like a blow up Santa Claus doll on a yard after Christmas. “With who?” Yunho scooted close to Yeosang, the screech of the chair against tile making Yeosang cringe. He could see how Seonghwa rubs the bridge of his nose, already incredibly tired at Yunho’s skill of redirecting the focus of the meeting. “With my bed, bitch. Hop off my dick.” Yeosang retaliated, to which Wooyoung immediately inflated, almost stupid like a car dealer inflatable man. Yunho whined, Seonghwa yelled, and in the end, Yeosang sat behind register two with Wooyoung on the conveyor belt, eyebrows wiggling as he recites some pick-up line from an odd website.

In a way, Yeosang wished he was like Hongjoong, completely oblivious to his own crush.

Hongjoong is a hopeless romantic, entirely obsessed with one of the two new hires, Jeong Yunho. He’s everything everyone wanted, tall, charismatic, charming, completely hot; Hongjoong would fall to his knees faster than Seonghwa would deny dating Mingi. However, Hongjoong would never admit to himself that he has a crush, _god forbid_ if he ever realizes that. Though, there was that one afternoon when Yunho had suddenly left, and Hongjoong spiraled when he realized how upset he was without the company of the tall new hire. When Yunho had returned later into the afternoon, he was a customer rather than a worker, with a baby carrier strapped to his firm chest with an actual child barely old enough to walk slobbering on his shirt. By his side, another child, older and loud (like Yunho), arm stretched to cling onto Yunho’s hand. Hongjoong entirely choked on his own saliva when he saw the image, Yunho, a possible father of two, and unfortunately (to Hongjoong) a possible hetero. If Mingi hadn’t gasped all too loudly, Hongjoong would’ve ran to his office and dramatically cried and complained to Seonghwa, because those children meant Yunho possibly wasn’t a hot single. “You’re a fuc--  _ freaking  _ dad?!” Yunho laughed, a deep grumble emitting brightly, and Hongjoong felt the beginnings of relief wash over him. “No, I’m just babysitting. It was last minute, that’s why I had to run out earlier.” Hongjoong laughed to himself quietly, but Yeosang had caught the sound and smirked. He leaned over and whispered, “Don’t you wish he was your daddy?” Hongjoong flushed red, “You’re lucky you’re still hired.” Yeosang shrugged, keeping quiet because despite how funny it is to see Hongjoong unravel, he would like to be able to pay his bills on time.

Speaking about bills, Hongjoong had felt awful when he had cut Jongho’s hours in half, but it was necessary. Jongho is a high school senior, smart but young, and Hongjoong knows that despite having money to spend on random things (say like take-out and roses for a guy you like) is cool, having enough time to finish homework and study is even cooler. Still, Jongho would bring in his homework to the grocery and worked on it during his break. Jongho is smart, there’s nothing undeniable about that. He excelled well in all subjects, even in extracurricular activities, did some volunteer work; Jongho is an all perfect high school senior, the best candidate for all colleges and universities. But Jongho had finally hit that period of extreme procrastination, almost struggling to turn things in on time. Math had finally trumped him, the numbers became confusing, the rules became unknown, and he dreaded school more than anything. Thankfully, San is there. Whenever Jongho had a question about his homework, he would shyly come to the older and gently tap him on the shoulder, a soft plea asking for help. Every single time, no matter the time or situation, San would brightly smile and Jongho would hold his breath. It’s not like San doesn’t explode when Jongho smiles. The younger has a habit of scrunching his nose and smiling widely when he finally understands a concept or gets something right, and every single time San witnesses the beauty of this phenomenon (which would be very often), he would have to excuse himself to the bathroom to freak out. It’s gotten to the point that Jongho suspects San has a bladder problem, though Mingi would mutter it’s more of a “boy problem”, to which San would punch his arm with wide eyes. Everytime Jongho would tilt his head in confusion and San convinces himself he has more of a heart problem than a  _ boy problem _ . 

If Hongjoong could admit, it’s a mess. Despite being oblivious to his feelings for Yunho, he’s quite well aware of the others’ feelings and struggles, and while Hongjoong himself isn’t the most well equipped with every life-shaking advice, he tries his best to mediate many of the relationships and problems that arise in the market. That trait, however, disappears when the chaos begins with the aforementioned crush, new hire Jeong Yunho being invited into the seven’s private group chat. 

  
  
  



	2. KQ Mart and the GROCERY BOYS Group Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> October 24, 2018, a new hire is added to the group chat.

**_User 'Jeong Yunho' was added to GROCERY BOYS by user 'manager'_ **

**manager** : alright boys, i added Yunho to the group chat. Be nice. Please. 

**woongles:** omg, hello new hire

 **starmars** : He has a name. 

Hello!!! **:Jeong Yunho**

 **hehetero:** hi 

**mountain boi:** hey! 

**senior:** wassup

 **bingle:** omg we should introduce ourselves!!! 

That would be helpful lol **:Jeong Yunho**

 **mountain boi:** he unironically used lol, dad, i love him 

**woongle:** hey oomf? shut up? 

**mountain** **boi:** hey asshole? eat a dick? 

**woongle:** do u hear that user hehetero

Did I walk into a sensitive topic orrr **:Jeong Yunho**

 **hehetero:** as the username suggests, i like pussy

 **starmars:** OKAY 

**starmars:** LET'S INTRODUCE OURSELVES. 

**starmars:** PLEASE. 

**senior:** but hyung that's boring 

But it is helpful, I mean, I don't know anyone in here.... lol... **:Jeong Yunho**

 **mountain boi:** say lol one more time and i will fall in love with you, that is a threat 

**bingle:** i think i saw jongho roll his eyes??? 

**senior:** i will break your jaw like i break apples

???? **:Jeong Yunho**

 **starmars:** HONGJOONG PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF 

_**User 'manager' has left the chat.** _

**starmars:** HONGJOONG??? 

_**User 'manager' was added to GROCERY BOYS by user 'starmars'** _

**manager:** goddamnit let me live in peace seonghwa 

**starmars:** How about you let /me/ live in peace? 

**hehetero:** well the first step would be to actually admit that ur dating mingi

 **starmars:** We are not dating.

 **bingle:** were not dating lmaoooo 

Should I come back later? **:Jeong Yunho**

 **hehetero:** wE'rE nOt DaTinG 

I should come back later.... **:Jeong Yunho**

 **manager:** No, Yunho, stay. This is peak Grocery Boys chaos and you have to witness it before you start your shift tomorrow. 

Ngl I don't think I wanna stay hahahaha **:Jeong Yunho**

 **bingle:** WE AREN'T DATING YEOSANG

 **starmars:** YEOSANG PLEASE WE AREN'T DATING

I- Okay- Then can you introduce yourselves...? or...? **:Jeong Yunho**

 **woongle** : if u guys arent dating then yeosang and i are dating!!! 

Can someone introduce themselves?? **:Jeong Yunho**

 **hehetero:** haha guys mingi and seonghwa aren't dating! 

**woongle:** I cannot believe the slander in this chat.

 **mountain boi:** lmao chaotic gays, all of you

 **manager:** san. wtf? 

**mountain boi:** what? 

**manager:** jongho?

 **starmars:** jongho

 **bingle:** one name: jongho

 **hehetero:** jongho ?

 **hehetero:** yunho say jongho

Why? **:Jeong Yunho**

 **hehetero:** just do it

Jongho? **:Jeong Yunho**

 **senior:** why are you guys saying my name??

 **mountain boi:** SHUT THE FUCK UP?

Can someone tell me 1) what the hell is happening and 2) what your names are **:Jeong Yunho**

 **bingle:** nah i like to keep men guessing

 **starmars:** Shut up, Mingi. 

**bingle:** BABE WTF

 **manager:** OH MY GOD? 

**mountain boi:** BABE??? 

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WTF IS GOING ON **:Jeong Yunho**

_**User 'starmars' has left the chat.** _

  
  



	3. GROCERY BOYS and the First Day of Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yunho's first day of working at KQ Mart isn't exactly how he imagined in would be. (Though, if he can admit, he doesn't mind it).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to note that I have never worked in a grocery store or in an environment like that, so don't mind me if I don't know what I'm talking about. Because I actually don't know what I'm talking about.

Yunho thinks the yellow vest that the employees have to wear doesn’t match him all too well, clashing with his personal style of simple gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt that’s baggy for his torso, tucked behind the elastic band and white drawstrings. Hongjoong disagrees entirely, a blooming blush rising on his cheeks timed with the sun that peeks behind the tree line just outside the store front. 

“Today is Yunho’s first day, so I will take the liberty of showing him how it works around here for the first few days.” Hongjoong says, head turned down as he flips through his clipboard, entirely missing how Wooyoung comically winks at San, the two snickering at the obvious crush Hongjoong wears; although, Yunho is seemingly none the wiser as his polite closed mouth smile grows brighter. 

Every morning for twenty minutes, the seven workers —with the addition of Yunho now— would meet to discuss the day’s events, after which Jongho would leave to go to school. Sometimes there wouldn’t be anything too exciting to speak about, so it’s twenty minutes of goofing around and ruined naps before an onslaught of teens trudge through the sliding doors groaning like zombies as they buy snacks for the school day. Jongho would always arrive at the meeting with his uniform in disarray, tie crooked and hair unruly, to which the duration of twenty minutes San would fix, sometimes barely listening to a tired Hongjoong. 

The meetings have a pattern that Yunho would soon understand. 

Hongjoong is always the first one there, almost as if he never left the store. As the other employees pile into the room, Hongjoong would be found on the meeting room’s dark green couch, sleeping away with his mouth wide open. Seonghwa would always be the second one there, kicking at the sleeping manager awake to sit on one of the many chairs that’s scattered around the small room. The order of the rest is always changing, but they always come with distinctive characteristics that Yunho had learned to recognize. If there’s a muffled conversation or general speaking, it’s Yeosang; and if it’s Yeosang at the door that also means Wooyoung isn’t far behind. Loud and heavy footsteps slapping across the tiled floor is Jongho. San comes with whistling or humming, stopping for a second before the door opens, a bright dimpled smile as he greets everyone a good morning. Mingi is a loud morning person, yet whenever he comes to the store, it’s completely silent until he opens the door, almost as if the door is a metaphorical flood-gate that opens Mingi for a day of boisterous happiness. Of course everyone knows this, and soon the ever observant San notices that Yunho always comes singing, earbuds buried in his ears up until the door is shut behind him. 

For the first few days, Yunho would politely sit by a corner, nodding along to what Hongjoong would have to say for the day, observing with his peripherals. Hongjoong is quite oblivious to many things, especially when his nose is buried into the many crinkled papers clipped messily into the clipboard, flipping away as he babbles about the overnight deliveries and stocking and whatever, so he misses the way Seonghwa’s head begins to bob up and down, left and right, eyes faltering to take a few more seconds of sleep. Mingi would nonchalantly scoop the blond’s head and place him on his shoulder, sacrificing his posture so that the elder could comfortably sleep, lulled by Hongjoong’s continuous droning.  Yeosang, San, and Jongho are the only ones who truly pay attention, Wooyoung bouncing from minutely annoying Yeosang and whatever he feels is much more entertaining than the shipment of milk cartons last night. This morning, his attention is on the new hire. He scoots close to the pin straight Yunho, leaning over to whisper, trying not to catch the attention of their manager. 

“My name’s Wooyoung!” He introduces brightly, a matching warm smile on tan cheeks that’s reflected on Yunho who smiles back wider. 

“Yunho.” 

Wooyoung cheekily winks, “I know! You’re quite the talk around here, you know. You’re all what Hongjoong can talk about.” The devilish younger glances back at their red-haired manager, turning back fully to Yunho when Hongjoong seems to still be occupied by his clipboard. 

“I’ve worked here for, like, years, probably, and I have never— _never_! Seen Hongjoong so flustered by someone before! I mean, we all knew Joong was single for the longest time, and we’ve always tried setting him up, but he never went out with any of them! I’m glad you came along, though! You’re like… A splash of color on a blank canvas!” 

A dull thud reverberates within the small room followed by the high-pitch yelp as Wooyoung covers his head in pain, Hongjoong behind him, cheeks the same color as his hair as he tries to rain down his clipboard again on the younger. “Oh my fucking God, Wooyoung!” Hongjoong shrieks, trying to escape the restraints of Seonghwa, who had woken up when the clipboard initially made contact with Wooyoung’s round head. “Yeosang, save me, please!” Wooyoung shouts, trying to pry Hongjoong’s grip off his employee vest, but Yeosang continues to laugh behind his hand, that rare deep laugh making San laugh. Yunho smiles through the chaos, even gives a chuckle or two, scooting into the wall to avoid the commotion. 

He finds it hilarious— Hongjoong’s obvious crush on him, he could tell when he first turned in his application a week or so ago. Hongjoong had been blond back then, but his thin cheeks were just as red as his present day hair. If Yunho could guess, the blush is permanently stained on those pretty cheeks, doomed to stay there until, to what Yunho assumes, the day Hongjoong gets over his little infatuation. He’s brought back to the situation at hand when Hongjoong appears in his line of vision, straightening out his shirt with a huff. Wooyoung is in the lap of Yeosang (who’s still laughing) crying out in pain still, kicking and whining when Yeosang would laugh harder. 

“I.. am sorry for that.” Hongjoong mutters, refusing to meet Yunho’s wide eyes. Jongho bursts in laughter, turning his head away with raised shoulders, trying to hide his amusement and escape the wrath that is their manager; but he catches his attention faster than Yunho could say it was okay. “ _ Jongho… _ ” The youngest stands up abruptly, picking up his backpack and rushing for the door. “Sorry, school’s about to start! A model student can’t be late, hyung! Bye!” The door shuts behind him only to reopen a second later, Jongho’s head peeking through, “I’ll pay you in the afternoon for the snacks.” He grins wide, teeth and gums, before shutting the door. “Choi Jongho!” Hongjoong yells, stomping on the floor in embarrassed defeat. 

“Okay, grumpy, sit back down in your chair before you break your back.” Seonghwa says from behind Hongjoong, fighting a smile that threatens to mock Hongjoong. “You’re older than me!” The manager retorts but sits anyways, crossing his arms. “You ungrateful fucks, I’m going to fire ALL of you!” 

Hongjoong, in fact, did not fire any of them, instead rushing them out of the small dingy meeting room-meets-office and out on the floor, a chorus of sighs and mutters following their footsteps. Hongjoong lets out a heavy breath, rounding around the creaking desk and onto the even louder chair, deflated cushions catching his body with loud retaliation. His cheeks are too warm for him, his cardigan a little too stuffy now that the flush starts to leave his face and drains down his throat and onto his chest, that bubbling feeling poking under his skin as it makes fun at how easily flustered he became. Equally warm palms smash into his cheeks, keeping them there as the memory replays in his head like a horror movie, that smug smile of Jung Wooyoung so daunting as he whispers to the new hire without much regard at how loud he was despite trying to whisper. “Fucking bastard…” Hongjoong groans, squeezing his eyes so hard that when he opens them he finds darkness with white dots, as well as the floating image of what seems to be Yunho. 

“Um.. Manager?”

_ Shit. _

Hongjoong scrambles to sit up in his chair, the furniture groaning in return as its owner stands then sits, then stands again to fix his vest, then promptly sitting back down, putting his hands flat on the desk. “Y-You can just call me Hongjoong…” He mumbles, looking at the employee’s eyebrows to avoid looking at his eyes— those beautifully wide brown eyes, the lights reflecting off them a thousand times more bright as if he had stars in his eyes; a projection of the whole galaxy within wispy eyelashes that flutter softly, like butterflies in a grassy plain. 

“Hyung...? Hello? Earth to Hongjoong hyung?” 

Yunho’s warm voice is accompanied by the expanse of his hand waving in front of lover boy’s vision, washing away the sight of galaxies and landing back into the office. 

“Oh! Sorry, um, I- I think, I-... I was thinking. What.. What brings you here, Yunho?” The tall brunette’s fluffy hair falls when his head tilts in confusion, “You said you were going to show me around for the first few days?” There’s a crawling embarrassment that travels from Hongjoong’s chest, leaving a staining trail of hot red as it settles on his cheeks. 

“You look like a heater.” Yunho comments, a lopsided smile gracing those puppy-like features that wooed Hongjoong in the first place. 

“Why? Is it because I’m hot?” Hongjoong doesn’t pride himself on his sometimes loose-lipped, no filter thoughts because it sometimes lands him in situations that he didn’t like; just like this one right now, the simple question making his entire face red. 

Yunho chuckles, deep and rumbling through that broad chest of his, further deepening the crimson. “Yeah, that’s one. Two, you’re blushing so hard you’re sweating.” Hongjoong makes a small noise close to a whimper in the back of his throat that compliments well with the way his chair squeaks across the floor as he stands, shuffling towards the door. Yunho’s amused gaze follows the red form, observing how Hongjoong tries to cave into himself and avoids him as much as possible, comically distancing himself from Yunho, rounding around him slowly then scurrying to his escape. There’s an unspoken agreement for Yunho to follow the manager as he opens the door and leaves it open, shyly looking back for a quick moment before shuffling out the doorway and onto the floor. Yunho’s comically wide smile only becomes wider as he shakes his head and follows, taking large, giddy steps. 

—

“Look at how cute Hongjoong hyung is with his crush!” 

Wooyoung squeals beside Yeosang, both of them tucked in aisle 9, restocking some candies, Yeosang in silence as he pretends to not listen to Wooyoung rant about some chapter quiz that he had bombed yesterday. Wooyoung watches with a box of skittles in his hands as Hongjoong comes out a heated mess, Yunho follows a few seconds later with a smile so bright, plants are growing atop his head. Yeosang spares a glance and a quick smile, “You could almost see the steam coming out of that room.” He comments, stacking some more boxed candies. Wooyoung grins, “I know. Hongjoong hyung is so whipped, it’s funny.” Wooyoung slinks up to Yeosang, a pout on his pretty pink lips, arms wrapping around Yeosang’s torso underneath his arms as he settles his chin on the older’s shoulder, “Why aren’t you whipped for me?” His eyes are puppy eyes wide, eyebrows knitting up and close as he digs his chin into Yeosang’s shoulder, hanging on tightly when Yeosang squirms. “Get off!” 

Yeosang isn’t _dumb_ , in fact, he prides himself for being quite smart, so smart that he easily passed his college entrance exam and all the following exams that came with the journey of university. Not only so, he often tutored other students in his major for a few extra bucks here and there, along with his admirer who continues to dig his perfectly shaped chin into Yeosang’s shoulder, eliciting another low whine from the pink haired man. With Yeosang's self-proclaimed geniusness, it wasn’t hard for him to see Wooyoung’s obvious crush on him that he wears as a neon sign above his head. He remembers when it first blossomed, before they started working at the grocery store or even before they entered university, specifically in their last year of high school during recess in the middle of the year. 

_(It was a hot summer day, the soccer field littered with seniors passing the ball around, kicking dust in the stuffy, humid air that threatens to sweat the light amount of makeup Yeosang decided to wear that day. Nothing special had been planned, but Yeosang awoke that morning with a soft smile and a great mood, an hour before his alarm was set to go off, so he filled the time with upbeat songs and choosing which lip tint would suit his uniform. At that moment, Yeosang and Wooyoung sat on the stairs that overlooked the field, snacks in their hands as Wooyoung lists off his complaints and comments he’d stored in his head about the day so far, only taking breaks to drink his juice. Yeosang sipped quietly beside his friend, face stoically bored which was quite the opposite to how he intently listened to Wooyoung’s voice slowly becoming hoarse at how much he had been speaking, giving his own two cents every once in a while when the younger had given him the space to talk. “I just think he’s kinda hot, you know? He doesn’t speak much in class, but he’s insanely smart --I’ve seen his test scores-- and when he’s around his friends, he becomes this ball of sunshine!” Wooyoung sighs, throwing his head back and to the side with a pout to spy on Yeosang’s facial expression. He spots said boy’s profile, gaze pointed forward towards the soccer field, the slope of his nose rounding softly to his subtle cupid’s bow, the gentle curve of his muted lips wrapped around a yellow thin straw. Yeosang’s eyelashes are incredibly straight with a slight flick at the end, on the thinner side than others, but dark enough to emphasize his eyes, the bright summer sun illuminating the dark brown; which Wooyoung had first noticed when they were young to be lighter than his and those around him, still chocolate yet there’s lightness in the darkness that makes them captivating and unnatural. “--don’t you think?” Yeosang’s head turns to the silenced, those unnaturally warm eyes blinking slowly. Wooyoung can spot his birthmark softly peeking underneath the makeup, partially covered by soft brown hair swept to the side, tucked behind his big, round ears, the remnants of old ear piercings slowly healing. Wooyoung can feel his throat dry faster than normal, breath stuck behind his slack jaw, and eyes wide at how_ _ handsome Yeosang is. “I- I didn’t hear you…” He confesses, a blush beginning to creep onto his golden cheeks. Yeosang rolls his eyes, pulling back a pursed smile, “Mingyu hyung. He’s way hotter than Wonwoo hyung, don’t you think?” Wooyoung pushes his budding crush from his mind as he slaps Yeosang’s exposed arm, “You’re blind!” Yeosang shrugs, “I think  you’re _ _blind, dude.” There’s the familiar tri-tone bell signalling the end of recess ringing campus wide, which was met with groans of the students that littered the outside. “Come on,” Yeosang stands, dusting off his pants with one hand, the other holding his trash, “Let’s get back to class so you can make lovey-dovey eyes to Wonwoo hyung. Maybe if you stare enough at the back of his head, you’ll transfer an ounce of brain cells from him and you can finally pass one of Kim’s quizzes.” Wooyoung stands at that statement, arm playfully raising to softly hit Yeosang again, “We’re not all nerdy like you!”)_

Yeosang suppresses a smile from the memory, a warm feeling spreading through his chest at how senior Wooyoung’s wide eyes, pupils blown in complete adoration spilled his emotions before the younger could even realize his feelings for the older. “Get ooooooff!” Yeosang whines for the third time, squirming in Wooyoung’s warm arms enough to knock his chin off his shoulder. 

“You didn’t answer my question!” Wooyoung exclaims, finally distancing from his crush, returning the five tiles across him to stack more candies on the shelf. 

“I block you out so much that I didn’t even hear you, Woo.” Yeosang snorts. 

“I asked why you aren’t whipped for me?” Even though their backs faced each other, Yeosang’s perfectly cut eyebrows rise in question, “Like cream?” There's a huff of annoyance from Wooyoung, “Noooooo. Like Hongjoong hyung!” Yeosang lets the smile take over his entire face, glad that Wooyoung wouldn’t be able to see because if he did, the younger would definitely use it as ammunition against him.

“I don’t know, Woo. Whips aren’t really my kind of kink, ya know?” He’s met with silence, not very characteristically of Wooyoung if Yeosang could note, but he doesn’t comment on it. 

For being a self proclaimed genius, Yeosang is quite _dumb_ when he comes to his feelings for the younger. If anything, Yeosang _loves_ Wooyoung. 

Platonically? 

Romantically? 

He’s just as confused as Hongjoong is oblivious. 

He had always adored Wooyoung, ever since they were single-digit aged, and his adoration hadn’t let up ever since, in fact, he’s sure it had only grown. Somewhere along the timeline, adoration turned into something more, but Yeosang can’t place a finger on what  _ more _ meant. 

Did he love Wooyoung? Yeah, of course he does. 

D oes he  _ love _ Wooyoung? 

There are days Yeosang wished Wooyoung’s hugs were warmer, days where he wished that their intertwined hands weren't entirely friendly or one-sided, days where he wished that those warm, plump lips always stretched in a bright smile was on his own lips. 

But at the same time, does that mean that Yeosang was ready to give up a friendship for a relationship? 

There’s insecurity that stirs in his guts when he overthinks, scenarios running in his head that distracts him from his sweet  _ sweet _ solitude in his bedroom at three a.m. in the morning, pushing aside his homework. 

_ What if,  _ Yeosang thinks,  _ it’s all fake? Maybe Wooyoung is just doing this for fun, a game?  _

If Yeosang can pride himself over his brains, he doesn’t pride himself when it comes to his overthinking insecurities. “What if Wooyoung doesn’t actually like me?” Yeosang would whisper in the still air of his bedroom, head slumped on his hand. “I mean, what does he even see in me? Wooyoung likes toned guys and I don’t have a single muscle on me.” He starts, a pout forming on his face being illuminated by his lamp. “And he likes guys with really nice skin..” He touches his birthmark, a sigh leaving his pout. “God. I’m just as bad as Hongjoong hyung or Seonghwa hyung.” Yeosang resigned that night with a frown, homework not finished. 

“Oh my god, Sang!” 

Wooyoung’s shrill voice hushed into an excited whisper pulls Yeosang out of his memories, head whipping fast enough for his pink hair perfectly styled to move slightly out of place. “What? What is it?” The younger is giddy, face bright in a flush as he points towards the front of the store. 

Following his manicured finger, Yeosang spots Seonghwa at register three, a smile so wide it reflects the sun onto the first customer of the day. The customer reaches over to give Seonghwa a bill, imitating that same wide smile. If Yeosang hadn’t known about Mingi’s and Seonghwa’s not-so-fling fling, he would’ve thought that this customer was his boyfriend. Speaking of Mingi, the tall blond stands near the entrance, a box in his hands, an expression of disbelief on his angular face. Yeosang snickers with Wooyoung at the clear jealousy he shows, abandoning their restocking to watch the scene unfold. 

Mingi watches how Seonghwa’s nose scrunches cutely at the customer, eyes not on the man in front of him but on the register as he pulls out his change, but Mingi can tell that the older is listening to the annoying blabber of the dude. He scoffs, shoulders rolling back, unconsciously fixing his posture, biting his plump lower lip as Seonghwa laughs at whatever the customer says. Jealousy isn’t even the beginning of his feelings, as there’s burning anger that ruptures under his chest. 

“Oh, Mingi! This is my childhood friend, Jaehyun! Come say hi!” 

_ Childhood friend? Fuck your childhood friend!  _ Mingi thinks. 

He forces a tense smile and, with heavy footsteps, walks over to the checkout and places the box of oranges on the bagging space and faces this  _ Jaehyun. _

“Hi.” 

“Hey! My name’s Jaehyun, nice to meet you!” Mingi gives a curt nod in response, eyes made of stone set in a glare. 

This  _ Jaehyun _ dude is gorgeous, Mingi can’t deny it. Now that he’s up close, Jaehyun exudes this natural alpha persona with his undone auburn hair, face bare but with angled dark eyebrows. His jawline is cut in marble, strong and defined, and whenever he smiles, those damn dimples could make anyone swoon. And god, the black shirt he wears accentuates how thick he is, pecs stretching all across from one buff arm to the other buff arm. Mingi, on the spot, decides to hate him. 

“Mingi.” Seonghwa hisses, catching his attention. The older raises his eyebrows, eyes flicking to Jaehyun in expectation. Mingi sighs through his nose, “It’s nice to meet you too.” It’s forced, a little bit strained, but there’s a small bit of sincerity to it. Jaehyun smiles, _cockily_ _if Mingi can add_ , and moves to grab his bag of things. “Well, I’ve got to go, the gym’s gonna get crowded if I don’t get there soon.” Mingi rolls his eyes. “But, text me. We should catch up sometime, Hwa!” Seonghwa nods enthusiastically, “We should! I’ll text you when I’m free.” Jaehyun shoots him one of his dizzying smiles, nodding to Mingi before waving to both of them and peeling away from the checkout to the exit. 

“Mingi.” If Seonghwa was the epitome of brightness just seconds ago, now he’s the quintessential opposite. The taller looks at him, all jealous hardness leaving with Jaehyun, now replaced with puppy eyes and soft smiles. “Yes?” Seonghwa crosses his arms, “What was that?” He whines, upset eyebrows cinched into confusion up to the younger. Mingi defensively raises his arms, “What was what?” Seonghwa frowns, “Jaehyun?” The name alone brings sourness in Mingi’s mouth, pulling his lips down. 

“He was making googly eyes.” 

“So?” 

“He shouldn’t be!” 

There’s a new warmth that settles behind Yeosang and Wooyoung, body parallel to theirs as they lean over and watch the fight. 

“Trouble in paradise?” 

Wooyoung snorts, “Were they ever in paradise? They can’t even admit their feelings for each other.” Yeosang nods at that, “Besides, San, you’re still in denial. You don’t have any right saying the word paradise.”  The newcomer frowns, “Denial?”  Wooyoung relents from watching the couple up front to look at the man behind him, “Jongho?” San immediately slaps his hand over Wooyoung’s lips, panic giving him the speed to catch the younger off guard. 

“Shh!” 

“Mm!” 

“What?” 

Wooyoung pushes San’s hand from his mouth, “Why are your hands always wet!” He exclaims, rubbing his lips with his shirt. San pouts, looking at his hand before wiping it on his pants, “I don’t know…” Satisfied that he scraped the sweat soaked layer of skin off his lips, Wooyoung spares Yeosang a glance for comfort, “Jongho’s not even here, why are you so worked up?” San shrugged, “You never know.” Yeosang makes a face of confusion, “What do you mean “you never know”? He’s literally in school right now.” 

“Excuse me?” 

San whips around, the two behind him leaning to the side to see who interrupted their conversation. There stands a girl, her uniform suggesting she’s a student at the nearby high school that Jongho attends. “Where’s the chips?” She asks. San smiles brightly, full dimples on display, “I’ll take you there!” He takes the opportunity to leave Yeosang and Wooyoung, guiding the student to aisle five. 

—

It’s Monday, which means by the time it’s eight a.m. there would be an onslaught of sluggish, zombie-like people that would invade the grocery store for snacks, drinks, and the coffee. KQ Mart prides itself for having pretty good coffee for a pretty cheap price, which means students looking for a morning pick me up or business people who were running late would stop by the place to get a quick drink. Having so many people craving the store’s coffee also means that the coffee machine not only needs to be in top shape, but also that it gets dirty. A lot. And as good as coffee is, there’s nothing more that the employees hate other than keeping up with the cleanliness of the damn thing. 

To keep up, Hongjoong had proposed an idea the moment that he became in charge: two employees would be in charge of cleaning the machine every few hours or when needed, the task being switched between the two. Monday means it’s Mingi’s and Yeosang’s day, but to give Yunho a try at the chore, the two play a duel of rock paper scissors to decide who would have a blissful break. 

Mingi breathes in deeply and exhales loudly, squatting low and cracking his neck on both sides, placing a closed fist in front of him with utter concentration. Yeosang rolls his eyes and also puts out his fist, though rather less ceremoniously. The small game had always been the deciding factor for many things, so much so that it no longer held the status of game, rather having qualifications to even decide if someone would be hired or not. While Mingi has always been dramatic about some things, he has reason today. 

Yeosang, self proclaimed genius, has a winning streak. 

He likes to say that he both has brains and luck, and that’s what he attributes his winnings to. Jongho argues it’s pure luck, no strategy involved; though he doesn’t really argue much about the topic anymore, now that he seems to have a streak of losing. Mingi’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, “Two out of three?” Yeosang nods, “Yup.” Mingi breathes, “Okay.” 

“Rock, paper, scissors!” 

Mingi’s hands splay out. Yeosang keeps his fist. 

“Oh my god.” Mingi gawks, eyes wide. “First round goes to Mingi!” Hongjoong exclaims from beside them, Yunho behind him with an amused smile. 

The two reset, fist to fist, “Rock, paper, scissors.”

Yeosang throws a scissor, Mingi does the same. 

“Draw! Last round!” Hongjoong announces, catching the attention of Wooyoung and Seonghwa, both stalking to the back to watch the deciding round. 

Yunho finds the gathering crowd to be incredibly funny, why is everyone on edge over a simple game? “Last round and Yeosang do not belong in the same game, Hongjoong.” San’s voice reverberates from a few aisles down, disbelief lacing his voice. “Yeah. My bet’s on Yeosang.” Wooyoung mutters, looking up at Seonghwa. The older nods, “Same.” Mingi turns to him, losing his position, “Hyung!” His cry falls on shrugging shoulders as San shouts his bet, “Yeosang for me! I texted Jongho, he bets on Yeosang, too!” Mingi pouts heavily, “What the fuck, does no one believe in me?” Hongjoong shakes his head, “No. My ten is on Yeosang.” All eyes are on the new hire, expectation hanging in the air for his bet. “Um. I guess I’ll take the opposite? Mingi?” There’s a cacophony of gasps and disbelief, though the single comment gives Mingi a smile. “You’re crazy. Yeosang hasn’t lost rock, paper, scissors since, like, I can’t even remember!” Wooyoung shakes his head, tongue tutting at the older’s decision. “You do realize if you lose you owe all of us ten?” Seonghwa asks. Yunho nods, “And if I win I get sixty.” Seonghwa smiles, impressed at his bravery. Mingi minutely glares, “Hey hey hey, don’t woo him like that.” Seonghwa smacks his arm hard, pulling a chuckle from Yunho. “Ow! Okay! Sorry! Stop, please!” Seonghwa doesn’t relent, but Hongjoong breaks the impromptu fight by stepping between them. “Break it up, lovers, we have work to do, remember?” Seonghwa flushes, “Lovers?!” “Oh hush!” Hongjoong pushes the older softly. Seonghwa huffs and crosses his arms but nonetheless steps back. “Okay, last round.” Mingi and Yeosang put out their fists, bobbing up and down three times. 

“Oh my god.” 

Mingi’s fist crushes Yeosang’s scissors. 

“Sixty, baby!” Yunho cheers, clapping away in front of the six dropped jaws. Mingi jumps in excitement, bounding over to Seonghwa and planting a wet kiss on his cheek. “Did you see that?! Did you see that?! Oh my god! In your face, loser!” Mingi repeatedly hits the woah, lower lip tucked beneath his teeth as he celebrates in the eruption of disbelief. 

“Yeosang, are you okay? Yeosang?” Wooyoung clings onto the loser, eyes wide in faux panic. 

Hongjoong turns to Yunho with shock. “Lucky first day?” Yunho asks with a big smile and shrug. 

San skids out of the aisle he had been in, his phone near his face, the screen displaying the shocked face of Jongho in the bathroom. “I can’t fucking believe this!” Comes the hushed and muffled voice of Jongho through the speaker. 

By the end, Yunho follows Yeosang clear instructions on how to clean the coffee machine, sixty bucks richer and one hundred percent amused. 

—

Jongho arrives at three thirty in the afternoon, headed straight into the employee break room’s bathroom to change into a simple shirt and pants, donning on the yellow vest. When he emerges, he quickly runs to Mingi, “I can’t believe you fucking won!” “Language!” Immediately comes from what sounds like Hongjoong, though he’s nowhere to be found. Mingi grins, “I know! The look on everyone’s face was priceless, dude. Yunho got, like, sixty bucks out of it.” Jongho mouths the number, disbelief still evident on his worn face, “And on his first day?” Mingi nods, “I know.” 

Things had settled down since the morning Monday rush, and while there was still an influx of customers, it wasn’t anything too hectic that the employees couldn’t handle. Lunch break had come upon Hongjoong, and he holes himself up in the break room, platform shoes crossed and up on the table, slurping up microwave ramen and scrolling through his phone. He taps a like on pictures he likes, mostly artists he adored and images his friends had taken, not really paying attention as the doors swing open and close. “Oh, hyung!” Hongjoong’s head snaps up, curious eyes meeting the wide ones of Wooyoung’s, “You brat!” He hisses with no malice. Wooyoung has a sheepish smile on his caramel cheeks, rocking back and forth on his feet as he shoves his hands in his pockets. “I know! I know! Look, I didn’t mean it, okay?” The younger slips into the chair opposite of Hongjoong, plopping his chin on his propped palms, “You know how you’ve been single since, like, I was born?” The manager chokes on his ramen, catching the broth that spills from his lips and onto his chin. Wooyoung grimaces at the image, pushing the tissue dispenser towards the older. “Well… I was just thinking that this is the perfect opportunity, ya know! You’re obviously whipped for Yunho.” Hongjoong glares at Wooyoung, “My love life isn’t your business.” Wooyoung scoffs, eyes rolling far enough back that Hongjoong was worried he’d see his own brain. “Yeah, it  _ isn’t _ . That’s exactly why you should go out with him.” There’s a quizzical look on Hongjoong’s face which makes Wooyoung sigh loudly, “You’ve complained about being single since I’ve been hired! It’s to the point that we’ve bet how many times you’d whine about being single and whoever’s the closest gets snacks for free.” 

“We?!” 

“Yes, we! You’re lonely, hyung! This is your  _ chance _ .” 

Hongjoong laughs at that, a true genuine laugh that he has to put his ramen cup and phone down. Wooyoung again, rolls his eyes. “Don’t laugh! You know I’m right.” Hongjoong doesn’t stop laughing, his neck turning red from the lack of oxygen getting in his system. “Stop laughing!” 

“Oy, you shits are so loud I can hear you from my high school!” Jongho’s voice is muffled from the sandwich that occupies his mouth, but the grit and annoyance shines through anyways. Hongjoong pouts, “That’s not how you’re supposed to talk to your hyungs!” The youngest rolls his eyes — _what’s with everyone rolling their eyes at me!_ Hongjoong thinks— and takes one of the two chairs available. “I’ll talk to you with respect when you date Yunho hyung.” Hongjoong lets out an exasperated yell, loud enough to startle Wooyoung but quiet enough for it to not rattle the customers outside. Jongho chuckles, eyes into crescents as he enjoys the blush that riddles Hongjoong’s cheeks red. 

—

Seonghwa thinks that Mingi is cute. 

He’s even cuter when he’s jealous. It had been a few hours since Jaehyun reappeared in his life, him being in America for four years, and the two rarely hung out when he came back due to his work. Seonghwa could see in his mind the moment Jaehyun flashes those pretty dimples of his that when Mingi meets his good friend that he would be jealous; and he had been right, the way his jaw clenched and fingers white against the box he was carrying. It made him giggle. “What’s funny?” Mingi asks from the register across from him, voice deep in curiosity. Seonghwa doesn’t look up from his phone, “Jaehyun texted me about his friend.” Mingi all but sneers, holding back any noises that could catch the attention of the older. Of course Mingi was jealous; Seonghwa was his. Well,  _ not really _ , Mingi reminds himself, sneer turning into a pout. 

Mingi remembers when he first met Seonghwa at the nearby university campus, sitting on one of the many free tables near the cafeteria, diligently flipping the pages of his textbook. He had earphones buried in his ears, pen tapping on his notebook, a few of the lines filled with neat handwriting. Mingi had just gotten out of his last morning class, groggy and brain-dead from a gruelling three hours of monotonous droning about, _hell_ , Mingi can’t even remember. He had decided that a coffee loaded with caffeine would be the perfect drink for his slow morning, so he headed towards the famed cafeteria.  It wasn’t long when a strong gust of early autumn wind smacked a paper on Mingi’s face, effectively waking him up with a scare. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” 

Mingi pulls the paper from his face, reading over big words and diagrams as well as the name scribbled across the top,  _ Park Seonghwa _ . The blond looks up to see the man from the table with the textbook hurriedly making his way over, cheeks dusted pink from embarrassment and the chilly morning. “I’m so sorry! I thought I weighed everything down, but I guess I didn’t.” 

God, if Mingi could guess, he must’ve died in his morning lecture from pure boredom and now he was standing in a heaven disguised as his university, and an angel is standing right before him. 

“Oh! It-It’s okay, it happens to all of us.” Mingi stutters, handing back the paper to the man,  _ Seonghwa _ . He almost wishes their hands would touch and he would be grounded. The man takes the paper and smiles, “Thank you for catching this, by the way. If I lost this I wouldn’t be able to get into my lab.” Mingi grins, “It’s no problem!” The man returns the grin, standing there in silence.

“Well, um, I’m gonna-” 

“Can I buy you coffee? If-If you like.. Coffee..?” 

The question comes out of nowhere and Mingi wants to slap himself. “I don’t even know your name..” Seonghwa trails off, “Mingi! Song Mingi!” The older yet shorter finds the enthusiasm to be quite adorable, earning Mingi a chuckle. “Well, I’m Park Seonghwa. I’ll take up that offer for coffee some other day, though, I need to get to my lab.” Seonghwa makes his way back to the table he had been sitting on, neatly putting the paper that flew back on a pile of other papers, taking those and shoving them into a folder. In the midst of cleaning up his things, a tap catches his attention. “Can.. Can I get your number? For the coffee!” Mingi stumbles, phone in hand. Seonghwa gleefully laughs and takes the phone, punching in his number before returning it. “Text me!” The older waves a goodbye, climbing the stairs towards the sciences building. Mingi thinks that it was the best day of his life. 

Ever since their encounter a little over two years ago, the two had hit it off great. Teetering between friends and something more, neither had really acted upon the feelings that they wear on their sleeves. Maybe it was the fact that they didn’t want to lose what they already have, afraid that it would get too awkward or what not. Mostly it’s because Seonghwa just wasn’t ready. With balancing a job (that they share, yes) and university majoring in medicine, he didn’t have the time to give Mingi what he deserves. So, they stay on the fine line of friends and something more, content with the nagging voices of their coworkers and friends. 

Of course Mingi would give Seonghwa the space and time he needed until he was ready, but Jaehyun — _that fucker_ — he was convinced that he appeared to whisk him away and, well, Mingi couldn’t have that happen. No way in hell that a random childhood friend would just suddenly reappear and take Seonghwa away— who the hell was he to take someone so precious and dear from Mingi? 

In fact, Mingi thinks this is some type of sick joke. 

Jaehyun must have known about his feelings for Seonghwa and is trying to take him away from him because he’s an  _ evil, evil man _ . Hell, has Jaehyun had his dick sucked by Seonghwa before?! Mingi doesn’t know, but he has! And he’s kissed him, and loved him, and taken care of him on his low days  _ and  _ his high days! Just because Jaehyun was the embodiment of a sex god doesn’t mean that he could just walk into the damn grocery store and woo Seonghwa. Mingi pouts,  _ Seonghwa likes me. He even told me before. So take that, Jaehyun-my-childhood-friend-fucker.  _

Seonghwa tucks away a warm smile, finally taking his eyes off of Mingi to attend to a customer. He could practically feel the jealousy that radiated off of the taller male and hear the thoughts that rattled him red. Seonghwa finds it endearing, especially since Jaehyun has been luckily married since he basically graduated high school. 

—

Orange begins to burn warmer, tinging the sky with a sizzling purple that muddles into a deep blue that Yunho admires with a bright smile, glad that the cool air that permeates the rush hour of people walking home begins to seep through the windows. There’s only an hour left in his shift, sixty long minutes until the hands of the clock spill to seven in the evening and he can finally,  _ finally _ , go home. 

The first day is always rough. 

Yunho remembers being seven and being the new kid in his elementary school and that first day of class was especially tough because not only had he forgotten his lucky pencil, he also couldn’t find a single lone student he could talk to during recess. Or like the first day he had taken up that babysitting job from his good friend, Chan, having to get used to a wailing three year old and an eight month old whose bowel movements came as frequent as Yunho’s desire to jerk off. But just like second grade and the troubles that come with babies, you get used to it; so despite the long, arduous first day at KQ Mart, Yunho hopes he will get used to it. Yunho glances from his spot in the dairy aisle restocking some eggs, fighting back a smile when he witnesses Wooyoung grin with Seonghwa, the two gleefully trying to not make it obvious that they were laughing at their fellow co-worker San, who stumbles over his words trying to explain binomials to a sleepy Jongho. There’s an inkling settling in the new hire’s gut that it wouldn’t take long to get used to the job. 

“Get home safe, Yunho! Text the group chat when you’re safe at home!” 

Wooyoung comically waves his arm back and forth, Yeosang just a step behind him with a small wave. The clock had finally set the eight free, the doors to KQ Mart now in the hands of the scarce night staff, manned by an equally tired looking manager by the name of Lee Minho. There’s a cat-like grin on the night staff’s manager as he waves from behind the glass door at the eight of them that Yunho finds cute (not as cute as Hongjoong’s splotchy red cheeks from the cold night, Yunho notes). “Don’t worry, I will.” Yunho waves at the rest of his newly named friends as each seven of them split off onto different sidewalks and roads, Seonghwa settling next to Jongho at the nearby bus stop as the two ride the bus to their apartment a few minutes away. 

—

_ 1 New message in GROCERY BOYS (8). _

I made it home safely!  **:Jeong Yunho**

**manager:** I’m glad!

**woongles:** ofc hongjoong hyung would respond first 

**manager:** Wow, look at that! Wooyoung’s paycheck is right in front of me. It would be a shame if something happened to it…

**woongles:** I retract my previous statement. 

Yunho chuckles as he reads the two’s bickering— yeah, it definitely isn’t going to take long to get used to them. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! i know it's been a while but i am a college student so... i have been busy. and tired. mostly tired. but i hope this was okay!


End file.
